Tech

Samsung Galaxy Note 5 proves big can be beautiful

When the original Galaxy Note launched in 2011, Samsung was criticized for selling a then "big" 5.3-inch smartphone with a stylus. It turns out people really like phones with big screens. As for digital pens, the stylus has resisted the bin of outdated tech quite gracefully.

With big phones now the norm, Samsung is doubling down on its phablet strategy. The company announced two new premium phablets — the Galaxy Note 5 and Galaxy S6 Edge+ — at its Unpacked 2015 event on Thursday.

The Galaxy Note family may have made big screens a must-have, but the devices have also focused on productivity; features like the S Pen, note-taking memos and Multi-Window mode, which lets you run two apps at once, justified the larger display.

Last year, Samsung launched two Galaxy Notes: The Note 4 and Note Edge. They were both cut from the same cloth. The only difference was the Note Edge had a separate curved edge display on the right side (hence its name). And they both were kick-ass phones.

Pay with your phone

A bigger Edge

The Galaxy S6 Edge+ is essentially a larger Galaxy S6 Edge with a bigger 5.7-inch displayl

Image: Miles Goscha/Mashable

More useful edge features

The GS6 Edge let you add up to five contacts via People Edge, but now the S6 Edge+ lets you add app shortcuts. Can we get a hell yeah?

Image: Miles Goscha/Mashable

Luxury colors

The two phones come in gold, white and black.

Image: Miles Goscha/Mashable

YouTube livestream

Watch out Meerkat and Periscope, the Note 5 and S6 Edge+ has a camera feature that lets users broadcast live directly to YouTube.

Image: Miles Goscha/Mashable

Fast charging

The Note 5 and S6 Edge+ may not have removable batteries but it comes with fast charging. Ten minutes of charging gets you four hours of usage.

Image: Miles Goscha/Mashable

Samsung has another two-pronged approach for its phablets this year. There's the Galaxy Note 5 for productivity; it retains the stylus and comes with new features for power users. And then there's the Galaxy S6 Edge+, which is basically a Galaxy S6 Edge with a bigger screen and no stylus; it'll be marketed more for multimedia and not for doing work.

A common core

Different selling points aside, the two new phones share the same DNA. They both build off the premium designs of the gorgeous Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge.

Both phones are thinner, lighter and have metal frames with glass backs. The Samsung Galaxy Note 5 resembles a larger Galaxy S6, but with two curved edges on the back like the Xiaomi Mi Note. Both new phones look stunning, though my favorite is the Note 5.

The Note 5 and S6 Edge+ have 16-megapixel cameras on the back with f/1.9 apertures for killer low-light performance.

Image: Miles Goscha

You'll also find two great cameras on the phones: A 16-megapixel back camera with optical image stabilization (OIS), f/1.9 aperture and dual-LED flash and a 5-megapixel camera on the front. They're the same ones in the Galaxy S6, so photos should look amazing.

Storage options are limited to two capacities: 32GB and 64GB. Strangely enough, there's no 128GB model like there is for the Galaxy S6. The loss of the microSD card slot makes storage expansion impossible now.

Battery life looks to be lower (at least on paper). The Note 5 and S6 Edge+ come with non-removable 3,000 milliamp-hour (mAh) batteries, whereas the Note 4 had a 3,220 mAh removable one. As with the Galaxy S6, the smaller batteries and sealed design are necessary ones as a result of the new designs. Samsung doesn't seem worried about the dip; it points to features like fast charging and wireless charging as convenient ways to refill on power throughout the day.

And like the Galaxy S6/S6 Edge, both phones have a fingerprint sensor built right into the the home button, which you activate by pressing, not sliding as in previous Samsung phones. The sensor can be used to unlock your phone, and it also works with Samsung Pay.

Note-able new features

Of course, no new Galaxy Note would be worth its salt if it didn't come with new features. There's the new "screen off memo" feature, which lets you jot down notes on the black screen as soon as you pull out the S Pen; notes are saved to the S Memo app.

Start writing notes as soon as you pull the S Pen stylus out.

Hover the S Pen over the screen and press its button and the Air Command menu pops up; you can now add shortcuts to frequently used apps.

It's hard to believe you couldn't do it before, but you can also fill out and sign PDFs, save them and send them back. This is huge for anyone who's had to deal with signing contracts and legal documents. Now it can all be done on the fly.

Lastly, "scroll capture," lets you screenshot multi-page documents and websites in their full length — perfect for when you want to save them for viewing offline, like when you're boarding a plane.

Premium phablets at last

It took Samsung six generations and dozens and dozens of entry and mid-level devices in between before it released the Galaxy S6 in all of its premium metal-and-glass glory.

Likewise, it's taken five generations for the Note to ditch its plastic. The Galaxy Note 5 feels like the phablet perfected, but was dumping the microSD card slot and removable battery a smart decision?

I don't know yet. We'll have to test out the phones and really push that battery to its limits before making any conclusions.

The Galaxy Note 5 and Galaxy S6 Edge+ will be available globally on Aug. 21 and will be sold at all four major U.S. carriers including AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile and Sprint. Pricing is to be determined.

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